He drew back out of sight as the car pulled up outside Kile’s house. He watched Olin and two detectives mount the steps and ring on the front-door bell. He saw them admitted, and the door close behind them.
The driver of the police car remained with the car, and prevented Gillis from getting nearer to the house in the hope of looking through a window to see what was going on. He had to content himself with waiting in the rain. He didn’t have long to wait. The front door suddenly opened, and Olin came out, followed by Kile, then by the two detectives.
Kile had on a hat and coat. He walked unsteadily, his head held low. One of the detectives had to help him into the car. Olin got in beside him and the detective got in beside the driver. The car moved off, leaving the remaining detective to return to the house.
Gillis had a good view of Kile as the car went past. Kile’s face was white, and his eyes stared fixedly at the back of the driver’s head. He seemed suddenly to have become an old man.
Gillis felt a wave of satisfaction run through him as he watched the car turn the bend and disappear.
Well, at least, he thought, that’s one untidy end snipped off.
He had spent his last dollar on the taxi fare to Kile’s house, but he wasn’t despondent. He knew Eve had money at her apartment, and it would be easy enough to get it out of her. It was a long walk to Roxborough Avenue, but he was in a jovial mood and he strode along briskly. Maybe tonight would be the last time he would have to walk anywhere. From now on, if his luck held, it would be taxis until he got his own car.
He entered Eve’s apartment block, rode up in the elevator and rang the front-door bell. Water dripped from his sodden mackintosh on to the mat, and squelched in his shoes, but he didn’t care. With his mind full of his future plans, he had never felt better in his life.
Eve came to the door. She started violently when she saw him, alarm jumping into her eyes.
‘Oh, Adam! What are you doing here? How wet you are!’ she exclaimed. ‘I suppose you’d better come in.’